The ABC allows comments on some of our articles, as a space for you to contribute your thoughts about news events and participate in civil conversations about topical issues.

All comments are moderated and we make no guarantees that your contribution will be published.

Reply

Author

Email

Date/Time

01 Apr 2015 7:53:01am

Text

PreviousMessage

"And yet those on welfare suffer hugely from poverty of the spirit."

a.) Those on welfare usually suffer hugely from poverty. Full stop. That is what destroys their spirit.

b) Your suggestion seems to imply that due to 'human nature' people that do not work are worth less than people who do. That is an Old Testament morality polluting an economic discussion.

Our original hunter-gatherer human nature consisted of about 2-3 days or 'work', for about 6 hours a day. I suppose that for the rest of the time our ancestors sat around being 'spiritually impoverished'.